Search Engine Optimisation

Not everyone with a website has yet realised they need to optimise their website both on and off page in order for it to rank and be found in the search engines. But for those that do they are realising the potential and benefiting from SEO ahead of their less-educated-about-SEO competitors.

So what does SEO include and how can you improve your website? Make more sales? Get more visitors or sign ups?

How do I optimise my website?

Well firstly you need to optimise your website 'on page'. This means ensuring that all the meta tags have been implemented using unique keywords for each page of your site you want to be found on the search engine.

You see, your website is actually a series of connected web pages, so you don't just optimise your home page and link back to that page - you also optimise and link back to other pages within your website which hold resourceful information for visitors. This could be information or it could be a sales or 'landing' page for Adwords.

You also need to consider your keywords for each page which means doing some keyword research. There are a range of free and paid keyword tools you can use to do this. Once you have analysed your keywords and chosen the ones you will use, you need to add them to the meta tags.

You also need to use anchor text within your page text copy that link internally to other pages within your website. See the two examples I have used in the paragraphs above. I have taken a keyword and used a hyperlink to link it to the relevant page which actually covers the subject in a more specific way.

You should also use this same anchor text to link from other websites back to yours. Ideally you should provide the link to the site owner so they don't just use your website or other anchor text wording that is less relevant or useful to you.

Also, what you must not do is stuff your web pages with your keywords. The search engines (and Google has the majority share at over 70%) do not give any weighting to keyword density as they did some years ago. Sure, it's going to be part of the text as that is what you are talking about, but don't add the keywords in unnaturally, excessively or purposefully, only type them in as if you are saying it out loud naturally. That in itself will ensure your text looks and sounds natural.

We will be adding lots more useful information on the subject of SEO but the above guidance is definitely what you should be doing as a minimum to start seeing some results.

However, if you are competing for keywords in a competitive sector then it will be more difficult to reach Google Page 1. For example 'Loans' would cost you millions to get there and a few years! 'Cheapest Loans in Doncaster' however, would be a lot easier though not a piece of cake.

Then compare that to something like 'cheap lawnmowers' and then 'cheapest lawnmowers in doncaster' now whilst one will be easier than the other (the longer the phrase then usually the easier it gets as search engine users tend to type the shorter phrase hence it being a more popular search term) they will both be a damn site easier to rank for than loans!

How to rank in the search engines

Now the trick is to find keywords that are reasonably popular search terms, but with less competitors using them too. With competitive sectors these are like gold dust, so you need to be creative and try some out and see where they get you.

Don't be fooled by Google's ability to rank you quite quickly when you implement your keywords into your website - within a couple of weeks your site will tend to drop, sometimes dramatically, back to a position where you should be, given your SEO weighting. From there, keep building up links back to your website and watch your site creep up the rankings.

You may need to tweak your keywords but if they are creeping up, don't be tempted to fiddle with them just because you are impatient! Only if you see no movement or no improvement do you need to consider a keyword review.

Some people test their keywords by dabbling with Google Adwords. You take a page in your website and fully optimise it. This would be your landing page - the page people land on when they click your Google Ad.

Next, set up a Google Adwords campaign using the keywords you have generated that are relative to your page. Now you might be selling a product or maybe you just want sign-ups and registrations or for people to make enquiries. Make sure that landing page is geared solely to do just that.

You can do all the optimisation to your site you want but if visitors land on your website only to be disappointed then all the SEO work would be for nothing. Make sure all pages including the landing page, are fully optimised, that you have good site navigation, that the layout and visuals are appealing, that the site and its content, especially images, load within a matter of a couple of seconds at the most, and that what you have led them to on your page is exactly as described in the advert or search engine description. Check for spelling and good grammar and that the text is easy to read and follow.

If you mislead people not only will they be disappointed you wasted their time, your bounce rate (i.e. land on home page and leave again quite quickly) will be quite high and Google Adwords will soon suss if your advert is not relevant to the web page you are linking to and penalise you through the price of the click.

Plenty to think about?

Come back to this website as we will be adding lots more useful web-related information, hopefully it's in a language you can understand as we try to avoid geek-speak, and will prove a reliable and up-to-date source of information for basic to intermediate level of needs for SEO.

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To date we have a 100% success rate of successfully dealing with problem websites - things that are broken and not working properly on your website such as links, or has not ever worked such as an email contact form.

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Perhaps your web designer doesn't answer your calls or emails, or is slow to respond or implement things you have asked to be done on your website. You feel as if you are stuck with them and paying their hosting fees, which are often higher than elsewhere (definitely more than we would charge you!) and you feel locked in to them.

There is a way out, and on your behalf, we deal with getting your website into your control using professional tact and diplomacy at all times. We deal with them for you - all we need is your permission.

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